Access to higher education in Chile: A public vs. private analysis

Abstract

This study analyzes how access to public and private institutions of higher education in Chile has changed as the post-secondary system has become increasingly privatized. It analyses access by young people to higher education from four perspectives: funding type (public/private), gender, family income level, and ethnicity. The study uses descriptive data, primarily from the CASEN and Higher Education Information System (SIES) databases. Access to higher education in Chile has exploded in recent decades, largely because of private institutions, which currently enrol two thirds of higher education students, and offer them courses that are often irrelevant and of low quality. In contrast, in the early 1980s, the private sector enrolled under 30% of students. The study also found a gradual increase in the enrolment of females, of students from the least wealthy families, and of ethnic minorities, although the inequality gap persists, especially at the more prestigious private and public universities.